Benzinga Bulls And Bears: Apple, Tesla, Netflix, Oklo — And Dogecoin, Meme Coins Outpace Corporate Giants

Benzinga examined the prospects for many investors’ favorite stocks over the last week — here’s a look at some of our top stories.

The three major stock indices extended their winning streak to six consecutive weeks, marking the longest stretch of gains for both the Dow Jones and S&P 500 this year. The Dow rose 0.96%, the S&P 500 increased by 0.85%, and the Nasdaq advanced 0.80%.

Retail sales in September exceeded expectations, and a significant drop in jobless claims added to the view that the U.S. economy is still robust. This strong economic momentum has led some analysts to reassess the Federal Reserve’s future course of action, with many now questioning the likelihood of additional interest rate cuts.

However, rising Treasury yields have impacted the housing market, causing a sharp increase in mortgage rates and a corresponding drop in mortgage applications. Homebuyer demand experienced its steepest decline since April 2020, as potential buyers pulled back due to the higher borrowing costs.

Benzinga provides daily reports on the stocks most popular with investors. Here are a few of this past week’s most bullish and bearish posts that are worth another look.

The Bulls

“Apple’s iPhone 16 Powers Record Sales In Q3, Just Behind Samsung In Global Market Share Battle,” by Rounak Jain, reports that Apple Inc. AAPL achieved record iPhone sales in Q3 2024, securing 18% global market share, just behind Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. SSNLF, as the global smartphone market grows by 5% year-over-year.

“Sam Altman’s Oklo Jumps On Google Nuclear Deal: What’s Going On?,” by Adam Eckert, reports on Oklo Inc. OKLO shares rising after Alphabet Inc. GOOG GOOGL announced plans to use nuclear energy, with speculation that Sam Altman‘s connections may position Oklo for future deals with tech giants.

“Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, Pepe May Have Overtaken These Nasdaq-Listed Companies Toward Billion-Dollar Valuations, But There’s A Catch,” by Aniket Verma, reports on how meme coins like Dogecoin DOGE/USD, Shiba Inu SHIB/USD, and Pepe PEPE/USD reached billion-dollar valuations faster than traditional companies like Nutanix Inc. NTNX and Nice Ltd. NICE.

For additional bullish calls of the past week, check out the following:

Netflix ‘Should Continue To Outperform’: 6 Analysts On Streaming Stock’s Q3 Earnings

Unlikely S&P 500 Stock Leaves Nvidia Behind With 241% Gain In 2024

Russell 2000 Poised For Major Technical Breakout: Analyst Eyes ‘A Trend Reversal In Favor Of Small Caps Outperforming’ S&P 500

The Bears

“Moderna Hit With Another Lawsuit Related To Key COVID-19 Vaccine Technology,” by Vandana Singh, reports that Northwestern University has sued Moderna Inc. MRNA for allegedly using its lipid nanoparticle technology in COVID-19 vaccines like Spikevax without permission, seeking damages for patent infringement.

“FTC ‘Click-To-Cancel’ Rule Makes It Easy To End Subscriptions: What It Means For Netflix, Planet Fitness And More,” by Erica Kollmann, reports that the Federal Trade Commission’s new rule aims to simplify canceling subscriptions, impacting companies like Netflix Inc. NFLX and Planet Fitness Inc. PLNT by requiring them to make a cancellation as easy as signing up.

“Tesla Has A New Chinese Electric Vehicle Competitor: How A Company That Used To Sell Cheap TVs Is Entering EV Race,” by Chris Katje, reports that Chinese company Skywell, known for selling affordable Skyworth TVs, unveiled the Q hatchback EV at the Paris Auto Show, marking its entry into the EV space and potentially challenging Tesla Inc. TSLA with competitively priced models.

For more bearish takes, be sure to see these posts:

As Boeing Workers Enter Second Month Of Strike, Rival Airbus Reportedly Plans To Cut 2,500 Jobs

Meta Confirms Layoffs Across Instagram, WhatsApp And Reality Labs Amid Strategic Reshuffle

Warren Buffett’s Stock Sales Point To Overvalued Market, Says Hedge Fund Manager David Einhorn: ‘Not A Great Time To Have A Lot Of Equity Exposure’

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Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.